Containers, such as bottles or canisters made of glass, plastic, metal, or cardboard, are filled with respectively predefined contents and/or packaged, labeled, etc. in processing facilities and, in particular, in filling facilities. In order to ensure correct processing, the containers are guided along specified transport tracks. In such processes, the transportation of the containers is preferably effected automatically. For the purpose of effecting such automatic transportation of the containers, the facilities have guide rails, screw conveyors, transport stars, conveyor belts, or the like. The transportation elements, for instance the transport stars, are frequently equipped with gripping means allowing for safe transfer of the containers from one processing module to a subsequent processing module. There exist, however, specific article or container forms for which it is either not possible or difficult to employ gripping elements. One such instance are filled infusion bags, which do not lend themselves to being picked up and passed on with grippers, as this would involve a high risk of the grippers damaging the infusion bags. This in turn would cause the contents to leak out of the infusion bag or at least to become contaminated and therefore useless. Special carriers or carrier elements are used to prevent this from happening. These carrier elements particularly serve for transporting such containers safely through the production facility.
The carrier elements in particular comprise a receiving portion for receiving the containers or bottles, said receiving portion being preferably designed as to be adjustable. This implies that adjustment means are provided in the receiving portion, said adjustment means serving for adapting the receiving portion to the container to be transported.
Such carrier elements are also used, for instance, for containers or bottles with an irregular geometry, i.e. in particular a geometry that is not circular or broadly square, so that said containers or bottles would otherwise require a precise alignment before they could be held by means of gripper elements. Employing carrier elements therefore makes it possible to dispense with an appropriate sensor system and/or alignment device. The carrier elements are designed in such a way that they are, for instance, open toward the top so that they can be used as bottle carriers with the possibility of inserting the containers or bottles from above.
The carrier elements are commonly made of plastic and are provided with functionally important properties; they may, for instance, comprise gripping portions for transfer devices on their outer cover surfaces, or sliding portions for being guided in the production facility.
As they pass through the production facility a number of times, the carrier elements are exposed to high strain in the production facility throughout their entire product life cycle. Damages to the functional surfaces of the carrier elements are likely to occur. The inserted container remains safely protected despite such damages to the outer cover surface of the carrier element. Should the functional surfaces be damaged too much, it is no longer possible to employ the carrier element, as it will no longer ensure faultless transfer from one processing module to a subsequent processing module within the production facility, for instance in a star-to-star transfer. A further problem lies in that soiling of the functional surfaces of the carrier element during the transportation process may lead to a faulty transfer from one processing module to a subsequent processing module. Leakages of semi-liquid and/or sticky contents may cause soiling to the functional surfaces, for instance.
In the transferring process of the known carrier elements, gripper elements are used, which engage with so-called contact surfaces of the outer cover surface of the carrier elements. The result is a relatively sizable transfer unit consisting of carrier element and gripping element.
DE 10 2008 020 117 A1 describes a carrier for conveying a container having a base that can be stood on the conveying surface of the conveying line and having at least one holding means for holding the container. Only the top portion of the container is supported in this carrier so that the carrier is versatilely usable for various container designs.
WO 1995 030 611 A1 shows a carrier element into which the containers are placed for transportation purposes. For positioning, the carrier element comprises the specifically formed portions 32d, 32e of the lower outer cover surface, said portions engaging with corresponding guide rails, for instance. The outer cover surface of the carrier element furthermore comprises the cavities 32b, 32c. By using an appropriate sensor system, it is possible to check the correct alignment of the carrier element via the alignment of these cavities.